Financial Improvement Agreements (FIA) 002-02070040

Is this the first time the customer has been granted FHA?

• Yes:
• a Farm Household Case Officer (FHCO) is assigned
• the customer is sent a letter requesting a Farm Financial Assessment (FFA). Go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 2

When a customer has re-claimed FHA and been granted after a break in payment (including in a new 10-year period):

• a Farm Household Case Officer (FHCO) is assigned
• a letter may be sent requesting a FFA if there has been a significant change in circumstances for the customer and/or farm enterprise. In most cases the existing FFA may be used if the details have not changed significantly since its completion
• when the FIA case is created an FIA request letter is generated and sent to the customer

The creation of a new FIA case depends on the FFA.

Does a new FFA need to be completed?

• Yes, a new FFA will be completed, go to Step 3
• No, the existing FFA can be used, go to Step 4

FHA must be current for the FIA Case to generate. If FHA has a status of Cancelled or Suspended, see Suspending, cancelling and restoring Farm Household Allowance (FHA) to arrange restoration of payment prior to creating the FIA.

Is the due date for the FFA more than 2 months after the written request, or has an extension has been applied?

• Yes, the FFA will be delayed, or the initial due date has been extended. A manual FIA needs to be created till the FFA is accepted, go to Step 4.
• No, FIA will not be created till the FFA has been completed. Once the FFA has been 'accepted' by the FHCO, an FIA Case is automatically created. If this does not occur, escalate the record to ICT via Digital Assistant Roxy

Note:

• If a manual FIA was created it will need to be closed and the details moved to the new auto FIA generated by accepting the FFA
• if the FFA status and FFA Case Status do not reflect the same status, the FIA will not generate. For example, FFA status Accepted (closed), FFA case status Not Provided. Do not manually change the FFA case status to try to generate the FIA. Escalate the record to ICT via Digital Assistant Roxy

Manually create a new FIA if:

• FHA has been regranted and the existing FFA is to be used, or
• FHA is current, and
• the FFA is outstanding but cannot be completed and returned to Services Australia within two months of the initial request, or
• there are no FIA cases with a status of New or Negotiated

Do not manually create a new FIA if:

• FHA is current
• the FFA case status is either Waived or Accepted (closed), and
• an FIA case has not been created after some time

Report the issue to ICT via Digital Assistant Roxy.

To manually create the FIA request in Process Direct:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Add to generate a new FIA case
• Case Type should display as FIA Case
• Select Save

The due date for the FIA is displayed within the FIA Request letter activity.

To view the due date:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select the twisty to expand the FIA case
• select the FIA Request hyperlink in the FIA Activities block

• Key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Add in FIA Activities
• select Letter Activity from Type
• select FIA Extension from Letter Reason

This provides a further 28 days for the customer to enter into the FIA. An advice issues to the customer to inform them of the new due date.

The due date on the case details screen also updates.

Note: the customer can have only one extension to negotiate their FIA. After negotiating the FIA extension, the customer must return the signed agreement within 28 days of the letter date. No further extensions are possible.

The FHCO will:

• contact the customer to arrange a time to negotiate the FIA by the due date. The meeting can be:
• a phone interview, or
• face to face in a service centre or another site, never at the customer’s home or farm
• a Video Chat (VC) appointment
• seek the customer’s consent to invite their Rural Financial Counsellor (RFC) to this meeting. Tell the RFC of the meeting time and date once the customer provides consent and document on the record. Do not delay the meeting to allow for the RFC to attend
• review the FFA, noting the SWOT analysis and assessment of the farm business by the Financial Assessor. For more details, see Farm Financial Assessments (FFA)
• complete the FIA questionnaire, start this before the meeting, and completed it during or after the meeting. The intention is to guide the discussion, and it is not meant to be shown or discussed word-for-word

To complete the FIA questionnaire:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select New under Questionnaire Status
• if customer has:
• not previously completed a questionnaire, select No from the dropdown menu
• previously completed the questionnaire, select Yes from the dropdown menu. The option to do the FIA questionnaire again will present. Select the response relevant to the customer's circumstances.
  If 'Other' is selected, the free text fields must be completed
• complete all other free text fields.
  Note: if a question is not relevant to the customer's circumstances, select Done and key N/A in the free text field

After all answers are completed, select:

• Completed from Questionnaire Status
• Save

The Resources page contains a link to the SMARTA principles for negotiating appropriate goals, objectives, and activities.

To record goals:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Start
• select Edit on the FIA case line
• key the Start Date of the FIA
• select the customer's Primary and Secondary Goals
• key the customer's Aim in the free text field
• select Save

Go to Step 9.

To record the FIA Checklist Activities, select:

• Add or Edit
• Activity objective in Category
• Activity Type from the dropdown menu
• complete the Activity to be completed field, include detail about the activity, the cost if applicable and if the activity is 'voluntary'
• in the Activity Due Date field - specify the date each activity is to be completed. For activity testing purposes, there should be at least one activity (or a milestone for the activity) due for completion at or before the customer's next review. FHCO's book the FIA review 2-3 weeks in advance of the FIA activity due date. This allows for an extension if needed
• The activity supplement may be payable for the activity. The default is No if:
• there is no cost associated with the activity
• the cost is yet to be determined
• non-RTO approval is required
• if the customer has no activity supplement balance available
• an activity must not be marked as Eligible for the Activity Supplement unless the customer has a quote (verbal or written) from the provider, and notified their FHCO
• If the above considerations are satisfied, mark as Yes. An activity supplement approval letter will issue automatically when the activity is marked as Yes, Eligible for Activity Supplement and the FIA status is Agreed To
• select Save

Note: proofread each line to make sure all details are accurate. The details entered in the FIA checklist activities are sent to the customer.

Read the verbal declaration to the customer, see Resources for the FIA Verbal Declaration and Consent

Tell the customer:

• a copy of the FIA will be sent to them
• they do not need to sign and return a copy of the FIA because they gave a verbal declaration

Did the customer agree?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No:
• FHA payments must be manually suspended
• check if a Qualification Failure has occurred, and if FHA can be restored once the customer agrees to the FIA. See Mutual obligations, failures and exemptions from the activity test for FHA customers
• if the customer requests more time to consider the FIA before agreeing to the verbal declaration, go to Step 11

Once the FIA:

• has been negotiated
• the verbal declaration accepted, and
• FIA marked as Agreed To

Send the FIA via the customer's preferred mail choice.

Note: if the only update within the FIA is an extension to an existing activity and the customer requests an updated copy of the FIA, this must be printed and sent manually.

To manually print the FIA:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select View FIA hyperlink
• View the PDF version of the FIA
• select the Printer to print the FIA locally
• alternatively, a copy of the previously issued FIA can be printed from the Correspondence (CORRO) screen in Process Direct

Has the customer agreed to the FIA?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No, book a new appointment to contact the customer before the due date, go to Step 13

If the customer does not agree to the FIA by the due date, FHA payments must be manually suspended. Check if a Qualification Failure has occurred and if FHA can be restored once the FIA is signed and returned. See Mutual obligations, failures and exemptions from the activity test for FHA customers

Note: legally the customer has 28 days to finalise and agree to the FIA. If the customer cannot provide a verbal agreement during the first call, book a new appointment using the keyword 'FIA 28-day contact'.

When the FIA has been agreed to by the customer:

• in Case Notes:
• Select 'Insert Declaration Text' to record a copy of the FHCO's and customer's verbal declaration and the customer's response
• record the date the FIA was sent to the customer
• record how the activities will be measured
• if the FIA status is Negotiated, update this to Agreed To
• in FIA case:
• select Edit
• in Status, select Agreed To
  Note: FIA goals cannot be changed once the status is set to Agreed To. If the customer wants to set new goals, a new FIA must be created and agreed
• select Save

If any activity has been marked as eligible for the activity supplement, an Activity Supplement Approval letter and voucher will be sent to the customer.

The Resources page has a link to the Verbal Declaration and Consent template.

When an FIA has become Agreed To, the first FIA Review date will be set up 90 days in the future. As the review date cannot be changed, schedule and complete the review at least 3 weeks before this date. This allows a buffer period for customers to comply with their obligations.

One appointment time cannot be booked for both members of a couple. Where an appointment is needed for each member, separate time slots must be booked. These can be booked back-to-back to allow both appointments be completed in the one interaction.

Note: if creating an appointment for both members of a couple, and the customer's partner is also their nominee, make sure the first appointment booked is for the customer who is the nominee. Book the second appointment for the partner who has the nominee.

To book an FIA review appointment:

• select the Appointments icon or go to the Appointments (APPT) screen
• select Create New Appointment
• Appointment type - select FHA FHCO
• Appointment Channel - select relevant option
• Service Reason - appointment type
• Appointment Duration - enter relevant duration
• Employee Assign - enter Logon
• select Appointment Date
• location will default to customers local Service Centre
• select preferred timeslot from list of available appointment times
  Note: Refresh can be selected if appointment times do not display
• Confirm information is correct
• Read the appointment declaration to the customer (Resources TAB)
• select Save
• select Finish to complete the FHA FIA workflow

A letter will automatically issue to the customer.

If the customer is subscribed to Electronic Messaging, an appointment reminder will be sent the day before the appointment.

The FHCO Diary tile from Process Direct will display the next appointment booked for all linked customers.

The RFCS may attend appointments if the customer has advised they wish for them to attend. Appointments can be completed without the RFCS present.

To notify the RFCS of an appointment that has been booked with an FHA customer:

• obtain and record a DOC confirming customers permission for RFCS to attend appointment
• contact the RFC by phone to advise of the appointment details
• if the contact attempt is unsuccessful, do not leave a message detailing sensitive customer information
• annotate the DOC to indicate if contact with the RFC was:
• successful, and they can attend the appointment, or
• unsuccessful

In preparation for the review, check the FHA clock to decide how many days of payment the customer has already received.

Consider the customer's remaining period of Farm Household Allowance (FHA) entitlement in preparing the review discussion.

If the customer is nearing or has reached 730 days on payment, consider additional topics for discussion, including:

• their ceasing FHA entitlement
• whether their current strategies for achieving financial independence are effective
• additional/alternative strategies that may help them to improve their financial circumstances

An additional face to face visit must be undertaken with the customer during their third year on payment.

To access the FIA:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• to view goals, select Details tab
• to view activities, select Checklist tab
• to manually print the FIA, select:
• View FIA hyperlink
• Printer to print the FIA locally
• alternatively, a copy of the previously issued FIA can be printed from the Correspondence (CORRO) screen in Process Direct

Regular reviews of the FIA and associated activities will be conducted by the FHCO every 90 days or more often if appropriate.

The customer's progress or completion of their mandatory activities must be checked and discussed at the FIA review.

Use the review meeting to:

• assess and discuss the customer's progress towards achieving financial self-reliance
• evaluate the effectiveness of the current strategy in achieving this goal
• reassess the goals and objectives in the FIA if the customer is not on track to transition off income support by the end of their 4-year FHA entitlement

If the customer cannot undertake activities agreed in their FIA, check if they are eligible for an exemption from the activity test or have a reasonable excuse. Where an exemption or reasonable excuse is not applicable, and an activity has not been completed by the negotiated date, raise a qualification failure. FHCOs must not extend the activity due date.

For details about assessing and coding qualification and conduct failures, see Mutual obligations, failures and exemptions from the activity test for FHA customers.

The FIA can be changed if it no longer reflects the customer's goals, resources and any barriers that limit their ability to take action to improve their circumstances.

At the review meeting, check the customer:

• is meeting their reporting requirements on time. If not, discuss the requirement and implications of not complying with their mutual obligations
• has a current up to date farm enterprise business income estimate recorded. There are reasons a customer's income may have changed, including a forced disposal of livestock. This may affect the estimate. If the estimate is not recorded, or the estimate requires an update:
• tell the customer to contact the Farmers Assistance hotline to update their estimate
• document in Case Notes following the review

The FIA must contain at least one mandatory activity subject to testing. This activity is to be completed by the customer's next review date. Where activities have been completed or are no longer required, they must be marked as Completed/Cancelled before adding any new activities to the FIA checklist.

For Activities completed:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Edit on the relevant FIA Checklist Activities line
• select Completed from Status
• enter the Completion Date
• select Outcome from the dropdown menu
• select Save

For Activities not completed with a future due date:

• remind the customer of the due date and the consequences if they fail to complete their mandatory activities by this time
• activity due dates are not to be extended unless an exemption has been applied. Clearly document the reason in Case Notes
• change the status of the FIA Review to In Process. This shows the review is underway and will be updated when completed:
• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Edit on FIA Review
• select In Process from FIA Review Status
• select Save
• Record details in the FHA Case Notes see the Resources page

For Activities not completed with a past due date:

• if the customer has a reasonable excuse, the FHCO may provide the customer with more time to progress uncompleted activities before imposing a failure
• details must be documented on the customer's record to support the reason for any activities that are extended beyond their original due date
• if provisions are not met, a qualification failure has occurred. The due date must not be extended, and a qualification failure must be applied. See Mutual obligations, failures and exemptions from the activity test for Farm Household Allowance (FHA) customers
• record detailed notes of the review and outcomes in FHA Case Notes

Did customer attend the review?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, update the appointment status to Did Not Attend and send the FIA Review overdue letter to the customer:
• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Add on FIA Activities
• select Letter Activity from Type
• select FIA Review Overdue from Letter Reason
• select Save

The letter will be sent.

In Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: FHS
• Review Reason: MAN (Manual Assessment Review Ent)
• Due Date: one day after the due date of the FIA Review Overdue letter, allow extra time for mail delivery
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'FIA Review Overdue letter issued XX/XX/XXXX. Check response and suspend payment using code NCR if appropriate. Return to OB 002-02070040 for action.'
• Keywords: @FHS and @FIA
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer to Region: leave blank

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

Record details in the FHA Case Notes.

Note: if a customer's payment is already suspended and an FIA review is due, do not cancel the FIA review. If the review becomes overdue while the customer is suspended it will need to be completed in addition to any other requirements to restore the customers payment.

Go to Step 9.

After the review meeting and, as needed the adjustment of the customer's FIA. Complete the FIA Review activity on the customer's record:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select Edit on FIA Review
• set the status of any FIA Overdue letter activities to Complete
• set the status of the FIA Review to Complete
• a new FIA Review will be automatically set up for today plus 90 days

Schedule the next review appointment using the FHA appointment system. See Table 1 Step 12. Schedule the next review before it is due.

When the customer has completed some or all activities in their FIA, but their overall goal/aim remains the same, the FIA must be updated to include new activities. This can be done even when the status of the FIA is Agreed To. Where activities were completed or are no longer required, they must be marked as Completed/Cancelled before adding any new activities to the FIA checklist.

Note: an FIA must always have at least one open activity subject to the activity test and due within the next 90 days.

It is not appropriate to create a new FIA unless the customer's goal has changed.

If a new FIA is required:

Before continuing, the current FIA must include an actual end/completed date for all completed activities.

Go to Step 8.

To add new activities:

• select Add or Edit
• select the activity Objective
• if a particular objective is not listed, select User Defined Objective to enter free text
• select the appropriate Activity Type
• complete the Activity to be completed field, including as much detail about the activity as possible
• record the Activity Due Date. There should be at least one mandatory activity (or a milestone for the activity) that is due at or before the customer's next review. It may be useful to align the activity due dates with FIA review dates.
  The activity supplement may be payable for the activity.
  If this is known at the time select Yes in the Eligible for Activity Supplement field.
  The default is No if:
• there is no cost associated with the activity or the cost is yet to be determined
• non-RTO approval is required
• the customer has no activity supplement balance available
• once the cost has been determined and if the activity is eligible, the FIA must be updated and agreed to by the customer
• select Save

A copy of the FIA will be sent to the customer.

Note: an activity supplement approval letter must be issued manually when the activity is marked as Yes, Eligible for Activity Supplement and the FIA status is Agreed To when the activity is due to be completed.

Procedure ends here.

FIA goals cannot be changed once the status is set to Agreed To. If the customer wants to set new goals, a new FIA must be created and signed.

To create a new FIA request:

• select the customer's record
• select FHA FIA Workflow from the Task Selector
• select the Add to generate a new FIA case
• a warning message will display to confirm the new FIA to be created
• Case Type should display as FIA Case
• select Save

Add goals and activities and read the declaration to the customer. A copy of the FIA is sent to the customer when the status is updated to Agreed To. See Step 9 in Table 1.

After negotiating the new FIA, return to the previous FIA and mark the remaining open activity as completed/cancelled.

Use FHA Case Notes to record:

• whether the customer attended the appointment
• main points of discussion, including any decisions made
• activities Completed/Closed off in the FIA and how they were measured
• new activities added and how they will be measured
• details of activities requiring activity supplement approval
• justification of approvals, for example, activity supplement including activity cost and qualifications of the provider
• expand on details of activities in FIA
• details of activity test exemptions
• when a document has been scanned to the FHA case but not the general record
• customer's progress towards improving financial self-reliance
• scheduled date of next review
• confirmation that the farm enterprise business income estimate has been checked and reporting obligations have been discussed
• where the customer is not yet engaged with the RFCS, document that discussion has occurred to remind the customer of referral options
• verbal declaration and consent

Changing or updating text: as these Notes are subject to Freedom of Information requests, any changes/updates should appear as an annotation. Changes/updates to an existing Note will record the history (date/user) of the update but previous version of the Note will not be kept.

Case Notes must adhere to Online Document Recording (ODR) and Quality standards in service delivery

To add new Notes:

• key START into the Super Key
• select FHA FIA Workflow form the Task Selector
• select Add
• select relevant Note type from list
• select relevant Subject topic
• enter text
• select Save

To edit an existing Note - select Edit List.

To delete an unsaved Note - select Cancel.

Note: Case Notes cannot be edited once saved but can be annotated. If a non-sensitive Case Note is annotated, this will replicate into the DOC on the Document List (DL) screen. Case Notes can be deleted by an FHCO's PSM. If a non-sensitive Case Note is deleted in Process Direct, the DOC replicated onto the Document List (DL) screen must also be deleted.